Union star's assault charge thrown out

AN assault charge levelled against Wallaby star Kurtley Beale has been thrown out after it was settled during out-of-court mediation.

Beale, 23, did not front Brisbane Magistrates Court today in relation to allegations he hit a bouncer at the Victory Hotel in June last year.

It was alleged he struck one of the security staff after he and teammate Quade Cooper tried to re-enter the premises after being ejected on the morning before the Wallabies second Test victory over Wales at Suncorp Stadium.

Cooper was not charged over the incident.

The matter had been subject to judicial mediation since February.

Prosecutor Sgt Paul Hodges told Magistrate Christine Roney he had received material from justice mediation advising that the matter had been successfully resolved.

He said police offered no formal evidence in relation to the charge.

Beale, who did not appear, was represented by lawyer Tom O'Shea.

Ms Roney dismissed the common assault charge.

Beale first appeared in court on July 24 last year after charges were initially laid by police.

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Union bosses given notice on policy

UNIONS will be called on to explain why an industrial relations policy which urges Queensland Health managers to encourage union membership in the workplace should not be abolished.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has announced he is reviewing the Union Encouragement human resources policy, which is linked to multiple QH enterprise bargaining agreements.

Unions will get two weeks to provide a submission on why the policy should remain.

The Newman Government will have to introduce legislative changes to scrap the provision.

According to the policy, QH managers and supervisors must encourage union membership.

"Queensland Health has made a commitment to encourage union membership among its employees," the policy states.

"Passive acceptance by management and supervisors of membership recruitment activity by unions does not satisfy the requirements of the agreement.

"Encouragement requires managers and supervisors to take a positive, supportive role."

Mr Springbord said he was "giving notice" that the rules are under review.

"We now need to review whether these policies are about delivering for patients and unions, or if they are about delivering for union bosses and Labor," Mr Springborg said.

"These designer rules were created to favour the political goals of the Labor party and have no place in a democracy or independent public service.

"Union bosses have two weeks to make submissions."

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Union to MPs: Release the Costello audit

UNIONS are calling on Queensland Government backbenchers to become whistleblowers by releasing the full Costello report on the state's finances.

Backbenchers are being briefed on the 1000-plus page report on Monday.

So far only a 26-page executive summary has been released publicly.

It recommends selling the state's electricity assets to raise the $25 billion needed to restore Queensland's triple A credit rating.

It also recommends the sale of ports and opening some government services to outsourcing.

Treasurer Tim Nicholls has said the entire report will be released in two months, along with the government's response.

But Queensland Council Unions president John Battams says that's not good enough.

He's called on regional Liberal National Party backbenchers to release the report, saying that voters need to understand that asset sales will cost jobs and services in local communities.

"They would be protecting the interests of their constituents if they gave the full picture of what Costello proposes," Mr Battams said on Monday.

Union leaders, representing 300,000 workers, met on Monday to plan their response to the recommended privatisation and outsourcing.

They decided to run a statewide ad campaign, and stage community events and rallies, with the first to be held on the Labour Day weekend.

"Selling major public assets for a short-term budget hit will deprive the state of further ongoing revenue to build infrastructure and deliver services," Mr Battams said.

Independent Gladstone MP Liz Cunningham said the Newman government would cop a bashing if it sold off public assets.

"The privatisation of strategic assets will go down like a bomb," she told ABC Radio.

The government has promised to take any decision to sell assets to an election, hoping to avoid the woes that plagued the former Labor government after it sold assets without a mandate.

Mr Nicholls has told Queenslanders they have a stark choice to make - sell and reduce debt, or face massive increases in fees, taxes and charges.

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Grocon battles union over cement

Grocon's Emporium site. Source: Herald Sun

BUILDING giant Grocon has moved to stop Victoria's biggest construction union "threatening and harassing" concrete suppliers.

Grocon has applied to the Supreme Court to extend an injunction against the CFMEU, in the next stage of a legal war between the company and the union.

Documents ask that the CFMEU be stopped from "threatening, besetting, harassing or intimidating" staff from Always Concrete Pumping and Boral Resources.

The company says the same should apply to any other supplier of concrete to sites including the new Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, the Emporium site, and sites in Box Hill and Collins St.

The Emporium was where ugly clashes between pickets and police raged for several days late last year, causing chaos in the CBD.

The Supreme Court will hear Grocon's application on Monday morning.

Grocon wants union leader John Setka to advise Boral and other, smaller concrete companies there is no vendetta against them for supplying Grocon sites.

The move is likely to spark more anger within the CFMEU.

The union has been battling Grocon since mid-last year over the nomination of safety officers on building sites and other matters.

Last night, a Grocon spokesman said: "We are asking the court to extend Grocon's legal shield to further protect us and our business partners.

"Many of the CFMEU's targets are small business owners and individual union members whose livelihoods are being threatened.

"These people have shown considerable courage in shining a light on behaviour that has no place in 2013," he said.

The Herald Sun could not get a union response.

matthew.johnston@news.com.au

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